ITEM DETECTION/INSPECTION ARRANGEMENT

摘要

An arrangement for detecting/inspecting items (13), for example, pills, comprises a four-sided transducer (22) which by means of arrangements of capacitor plates (10, 11; 23-26) on or forming its side surfaces provides, in use, four (spacially) intersecting electric fields. When items fall through the electric fields of the transducer they cause a change in the voltage induced on a capacitor plate of each of the four capacitors, and respective signal processing means for the four capacitors have their D.C. voltage outputs combined and analysed by a microprocessor (40) or the like to determine if the item detected has sufficient material to be classed as acceptable. The arrangement is such that inspection is largely unaffected by the orientation of the item as it passes through the transducer. In an alternative embodiment, two intersecting electric fields are provided and pulse length and height relating to the passage of the item are analysed.